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THE DREAMS OF OUR YOUTH

“There should be an African Dream;

A Dream of Societies of Opportunities,

Where every youth would be Physically, Mentally and Spiritually equipped

To create Wealth, Grow their societies;

And sustain the Societies for future Generations.

A Dream of a Continent where you can become whatever you aspire to be,

as long as you have the Skills and Ambition.

Africa should be a Mother providing education, jobs, security, and protection for all her Youth

for them to secure fulfilment in their lives and acquire happiness.”

 

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Introduction

In his foreword to the book, President Kufuor noted; ‘the youthful stage in life is a time

for taking important decisions, which could influence your life for good or bad. Some

decisions are obvious to make, some not much so.’ No one can kill your dreams, train

your self to acquire skills, set your horizons high, be positive minded and if you work

hard, you would succeed in life.

These is no doubt that, many an African youth has lost hope and are fed up with the

difficulties in their societies. It is worth noting that, in the 21st century, the riches of a

nation is no longer determined by natural resources, military might or historical

alliances but by the quality of her youth; their ambition, attitude, skills and innovation

or creativity. It is thus worth noting that, to achieve this, the youth needs schooling and

education.

Ambition is one of the hottest currencies every young person is encouraged to posses.

This is not enough though, in the current environment. Ambition should be backed by

 

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skills and the right attitude. Without skills, ambitions would only leads to frustrations

and disappointments.

Dreams are a guide in the storms of life. Dreams tend to motivate, encourages and give

you hope as you strive to achieve your visions in life. As such it behoves on the youth to

dream and set goals for themselves in life.

Two Angles of the Book

 

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“The Dreams of Our Youth” advocates for giving traditional education prominence in a

modern setting. Traditional education prepared you beyond skills to acquire character

and values to enable you to contribute fully to meet the needs and challenges the

society faced whereas the current educational and skills training environment

emphasise more on academic knowledge. In traditional society, the nuggets of wisdom

counsels given by the ‘fire side’, on the farm path and at dawn were followed up by

close observation by parents, family and the community to ensure that, they had

become part of your life.

The book further acknowledges that, in the end it comes to basic questions; ask

yourself; what can I do to help myself achieve my dreams? To the society, ask what it

can do to help you? To the policy maker, you must ask him if his policy proposals are

creating the wealth of opportunities, and right environment required for your

development. And if there are ‘some’ policies in place, you must further ask him; can

these policies enhance my aspirations? Can they help to build and sustain me in the 21st

century?

 

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Is your Dream within Reach?

Every dream is within reach. Every vision is achievable, if only you can pay the price.

So with your eyes in your head, follow the dreams of your childhood and your vision

for your life. Hopefully, having paid the price in full, you would succeed, and call

yourself a successful person.

Many young persons have long lost the sparkle in your eyes as a result of unguided

dreams and ambitions, which were neither rooted in reality nor common sense. It is

important to note that, life is an organized continuous journey. It is a journey requiring

patience, thought, guidance, planning, sacrifices, balance and strength. It is important to

create a balance between passions, sentiments and selfish ambitions on one hand, with

reality on the other, if you are to succeed in life.

As you dream, you should acknowledge that, in a society, you have responsibilities to

honour in the transformation of the society. The roles they play come in various forms

but to ensure their active participation in the society, it is important they get involved in

decision making, and national issues.

Suffice to say, you should not expect change or greater participation in the affairs of the

nation to be handed over to them in a ceremony or as change of baton as in a relay race.

 

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Religious Bodies & Civil Society for the Youth

The youth is in an uncertain and volatile society which has almost lost the code; honour,

dignity and self-respect. The youth is growing in a society where greed, wickedness,

lies, deceit, fear and doubt are so common that, you may have come to accept them as

part of the 'virtues' of life. The youth have no heroes and role models at all. This is a

challenge the book throws to the youth and political leaders equally.

Protections within the environment are necessary for youth development. The youth

needs a physical and social environment that promotes good health and offers

protection from physical harm. The Dreams of Our Youth posits that; ‘you need an

environment to provide you with a means to a sustainable and dignified livelihood’.

‘You need a society that protects you from shocks, unemployment, and diseases’.

Protection does not only mean physical concerns. The bigger issue is to protect your

minds and souls from unhelpful foreign cultures and voices. The society needs to be a

Mother for the youth in these matters.

In many societies, state institutions, which should fill the vacuum so created by the

failed state institutions, are weak or skeletal. Is it the Churches, Muslims, Traditional

Authorities or Civil Society, which are to fill the void? There is no doubt that, this

vacuum ought to be filled.

 

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The issues of morality and cultural bearing are important. Our society by virtue of our

ethnic grouping has numerous moral codes. This notwithstanding, certain codes are

widely accepted. These include: volunteerism, discipline, humility, maturity, learning,

communality, teamwork, level headedness, generosity, hardworking, respect for life

and dignity. This moral code has fast degenerated.

Heroes of Yesteryear

…. We have the examples of our Founding Fathers to inspire many a youth to dream

and work hard to achieve those dreams. They were not a perfect generation as no

generation would ever be yet they left footprints for the present. They built Universities,

laid foundation for Science and Technology, built dams, whole cities and townships,

road infrastructure, Teaching Hospitals, Ministerial Infrastructures, and above all a

Dream for a better future and a prosperous nation; a nation where the present

generation sacrifices for the next and prepares for the future…

 

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Delinquency & Integration within the Society

Integration among and between the youth and the larger society is proving to be a

growing challenge facing the nation. On many University campuses today, you are split

among ethnic unions. There is the Asante Student Union, Hausa Fraternity, Masai

Student Union, Zululand, among other unions. Hitherto, the popular craze on

campuses was Literary Clubs and Debating Associations.

Delinquency has become an established culture among youth ranks, with recent cult

dimensions. Crime is no longer a popular in sprouting slums, low earning communities

and ghettoes but also in high-class communities. Drugs, rioting and prostitution under

 

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the disguise of such name as escorts, office services, fixers and 'job applicants' have

come to be associated with your generation. The price the youth is paying for living in a

society

such as

this one is

their

future.

Old vrs New Ideas

The struggle between the old and the new is as old as time itself. This is not a struggle

between age and number. It is a struggle between new ideas, new knowledge and new

ways on one hand and the existing beliefs on the other. It has been waged for a long

time with, sometimes, bloody conclusion. It should be stressed that, “you”, as denoted

in this context does not refer to the fifteen year old young man only. “You” as used

here, also refers to the carrier of innovations, which ought to be ushered in to displace,

reform or compliment the current order for the purposes of moving the dynamics of

progress in the direction required for creating a viable and sustainable environment.

The youth is urged to notice these issues and act accordingly. Change does not come on

a silver platter.

 

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Roles Of Parents Have Diminished

The roles of parents in the formation of your character are not central anymore. Formal

education, peer pressure, mass media, social networks, game consoles and chat rooms

have taken much control over your character formation and management.

The world is different now. Technology has changed the routes of information

acquisition and in its wake; you are opened to a complex mix of cultures.

The Generational Gap and Limited Knowledge

 

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The pressures of work, poverty, and generational gap cannot be left out of our

considerations. There is less time for the age-old custom of talking to you at dawn.

Family meetings are no longer practiced?

Lack of information is not the only currency denying parents their rightful roles in your

lives. Other issues are the depth and the variety of the information you need.

The Path

For you, to achieve your individual dreams may rest with each of you but for you to

claim the dream of the nation rests with combined efforts. Efforts which would spur the

fires of desires eternally burning in you; fires which would burn pettiness, arrogance,

laziness, and meanness and set you free to explore great heights and lofty dreams.

Only Those with Skills Could Benefit from available Opportunities

It is worth noting that, if the much talked about environment were created, not all of

you would benefit from it. It would take those of you who have acquired the basic skills

and knowledge to benefit from it. It is in this light that, it is important for each one of

 

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you to go beyond just dreams and writing down 'to-do list' and ask yourself what skills

would be necessary for you to achieve your dreams.

The Way Forward

How then should you go about your change agent or pursue your dreams?

Preparations and patience are necessary. There is a wide gap between awareness and

reality. You ought to take time to read, study, ask questions and make extensive

consultations.

The Common Ground

The initial admonition towards a common ground is for you to acknowledge your

inexperience in substantial matters of life and for the older generation to acknowledge

on their part, their limitation with respect to your outlook, knowledge and energy in the

context of current cultures and times as well as your early maturity periods.

By out traditions, the youth have not been central in intellectual issues and in societal

development beyond the use of arms, strength, learning and errands. Unfortunately,

 

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certain traditions and sections of policy makers have carried this mind-set to the present

day.

Even now, with the enormous changes in your dispositions, your intellectual value to

shape policy and participate in mainstream programmes towards national development

is not fully appreciated by sections of policy makers and political traditional rulers. The

reason for this situation could be partly cultural and partly lack of consistent maturity

to issues of concern by you. It could also be deliberate. The youth is critical to the

development to any nation. Any society, which ignores their energies, ideas and drive,

does so at its own peril. The book discusses nearly twenty roles the youth should be

encouraged to honour…

The Role Of The Society

Furthermore, the society, in building a purposeful and well bred youth, should also be

committed to industry friendly policies in low taxes and in free zones, incentives such

as in tax rebates, long term low interest loan facilities for small businesses, regular

supply of and low energy cost and other relativities. We need a society where

politicians would be committed to the implementation of programmes rather than

endless talk-shops of policy sessions and sound bites for the microphones of journalists.

In the hope of this tomorrow's society, demand from politicians that, as the culture

changes, they would make the resulting society better for everyone as much as no one

sees it as a luxury or an aberration today, for a pepper seller to use a mobile phone to

transfer money to her suppliers in the village.

Food For Thought

Events of a time, evidently, tend to have influence on the activities of those of that

period. As a continent, we have gone through turbulent political and more so, social

 

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periods. Our founding fathers and the generations, which came after, lived through

such periods. Within the limitations of that time they acted, and created a society, either

by design or accident, befitting to them.

Your Generation Needs Different Tools

Time brings in its wake new

opportunities, benefits and challenges. Worth noting is the fact that, tools required for

accessing the opportunities in the current times are quite different from those used in

generations long ago. Likewise, the tools employed to meet the challenges of today

generations would be different from those required for the future. Every generation

needs different tools to achieve their dreams.

Some Leaders Could Be A Threat To Your Development

 

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The self-indulgence and excesses of the centres of power and or around it are

disquieting. Very few care and paying lip service has become the order of the day. Not

a week passes without a statement from a politician, religious monarchs, traditional

authorities, business leaders and interest groups urging support for the youth or crying

over the youth wasting their lives on crime or offering suggestions no policy maker

would heed or commit political capital to.

Abused Young Ladies

In a society of scarce opportunities, many a young lady do not secure jobs or maintain

the same, without having to sacrifice their pride and dignity. Some have merely been

turned into some sort of prostitutes, pushed by circumstances and deception to deny

yourselves your dreams and sense of purpose and dignity. Many of you roam from one

place to another, attending supposed interviews at odd hours.

 

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Eventually, the promised jobs never come and by coercion, weakness and the ploy of

sweet tongue and mixture of fear, some of our female talents are turned into 'house

servers', serving the appetite of the nation wreckers at end of year parties, weekend

orgies, escorts and special occasions.

A Big Shame!

There is no need for reassurances anymore. Neither is it necessary to pacify the gods of

the land nor cry out to them for mercy or help. The land is weak from hopelessness. The

institutions of our society painstakingly established by those long gone are crumbling.

Department of Social Welfare, the Police Service, Chieftaincy and the Clergy are all

failing to measure up to the requirements of the times. This is not as a result of external

forces, The West, or the usual standard excuses. It is an inward flaw created and

nourished by our own leaders in their greed and vanities.

 

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Different Classifications Of The Youth

There are different classes of you by virtue of your orientation, dreams, environment

and place in the society. Each is simultaneously competing for space and resources to

achieve their dreams. There are six categories of you identified here based upon further

categorisation, your willingness to stand by your dreams, preparedness and views of

life.

The first group is those of you who by blood or association belong to the ruling class.

We shall refer to as the pets. The second group are those of you whose body and mind

tills the soil and mills the corn for the ruling class, only to make it to their mouths. We

shall refer to you as the workers. The third group is those who either by design or false

choice have thrown your lives away. You are without skills, drive, and dreams. You are

the drags. You have resigned to passing through time without hope or purpose.

 

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The fourth group are those of you who by luck, grace or favour have found a niche and

are surviving the breezes of your dreams. We shall refer to you as the babies.

The fifth are the eagles and the sixth are the mavericks.

These groups have their unique characteristics and strengths, which makes them useful

in achieving the youth agenda…

Life Is About Patience and Timing

Life does not follow a straight path and knowledge acquired only from books does not

guarantee success in life. There is, as always, a wide and sometimes infinite gap

between knowledge and reality. This gap is really important to you going forward. This

is critical to you in building your patience, perseverance, and learning skills, attitudes

and resources necessary in making a progressive and matured growth.

Life Has Happy and Sour Moments

 

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Life has its lows and joys for everyone. Sometimes you succeed at your efforts and at

other times you face a setback. Life has a way of upsetting you. Life is fraught with

hurdles and roadblocks. The youth is advised to learn this lesson so as to face life and

be successful.

This is something you should take note and prepare for. You may read the examination

questions carefully yet you may deviate from a question and provide the wrong

answer. It is an occurrence of life. You may satisfy the requirement for a facility from

your bankers, yet they may deny you the facility.

The Talent and Spectrum

Beyond dreams, the euphoria, the ecstasy and joy, you would have to make time and

conduct due analysis of your suitability for the dream you have so conceived for

yourself. Every youth has talents and reasonably, it is appropriate to assume that,

dreams should bother on your talents. If you have no talent for something, dreaming of

success in such a field would be a daunting task. Talent as referred to here is loosely

interchangeable with skills and abilities. Without skills related to the requirements of

your dreams, the dreams become only a wish, which might never be achieved. In this

light, it is important to note that, your dreams need a foundation and a minimum

amount of common sense. Only an ambition will not suffice.

Models are provided to utilise your talents to your benefit and the society.

 

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The Career Spectrum

This career spectrum largely seeks to draw a link between talents and career. There is

no doubt that many of you have careers you aspire. You yearn for them, dream of them

but pursue them less. This is the point of 'no-more-dreams'. It is the point of reality,

where you set out to define yourself based upon those parts of your dreams, which are

realistic and achievable. It is the first step on the ladder to your dreams. Those dreams

your abilities could help you to achieve.

The Career Spectrum denotes that, the combination of your skills, drive, preparedness

and opportunities should determine your career choice. It should not be about ego,

blind dreams, ambitions and or mad drive to catch up with a friend, your parents’ wish

and 'community' quest for you. The reasoning is that, you would develop faster and

climb higher in a field your talents can match up to. A trained psychologist would do

better as a career counsellor than as a software developer.

If a psychologist has ambitions to be a software developer, the best option for him is to

retrain in computer programming or a related field. Otherwise, his career should be in

counselling or psychology related fields.

Dreams

Dreams are sometimes like mirages. They turn beggars into kings, slaves into masters

and the homeless into estate owners overnight. In the dream world, everything is great.

There are neither tears nor sorrows. It is a world of perpetual bliss. A world of

abundance, where there is neither scarcity nor disappointment. All is well. Peace and

Happiness reigns. Within this bliss, you have hope, purpose and a light to guide you as

you pertain to the ideals of your lofty dreams.

You need to dream of a society better for all and work to achieve it. Work to build a

society better for the Libyan youth, Rwandan youth, South African, Congolese and the

 

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Tanzanian. A society not controlled by a few whether directly or by proxy; but

controlled by all and for the good of all. A country, where the standard of wealth is

neither measured by financial status nor by temporal power, but by highest moral

values, vision, and purposefulness which have once created and sustained great

civilisations.

Dreams and Reality

Dreams and reality are not friends but always go hand in hand. Sometimes you get

more than you dreamt for and at other times, you get less. Why this is so, is a complex

mix of issues unrelated to the course and lure of this work. The thrust here is that, there

should be an understanding that, there is a big difference between dreams and reality as

stated in an earlier chapter. Thus, dreams should largely be a guide.

Short Term, Medium and Long Term Dreams

For the purpose of clarity, let us consider dreams in terms of short- term, medium-term

and lifetime. Short-term dreams are usually expected in less than a year or two. They

could be synonymous to New Year's resolutions; semester grade goals or a month's

resolution. The short-term dream should feed the medium term dreams. In other words,

short-term goals serve as the foundation for medium term dreams and lifelong goals.

Medium term dreams are relatively between three to five years. They could be

courtship leading to marriage and timelines for young professionals. They could also be

business start-up goals. Or career progression goals.

The lifelong dreams are long term and stays with you until death. It is the ultimate

dream that would be the essence of your life. What you would be remembered for.

They could be personal or communal.

 

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The Successful Youth

It is your right to dream to be successful in life. This success should not be solely

determined by either material wealth or personal gain, but by how much you would

give back to society. This is the greatest sacrificial story of all. And if you should dream

to be the one 'who gave all to the society', then you would truly be a successful person

in the life of the society. You do not have to be a politician or a 'huge' figure to give back

to society. I wonder how many of these figures have given much back to society. Your

little would be enough for someone in the society.

The Pursuit Of Dreams Is A Lonely Journey

The pursuit of dreams is a lonely journey you are being urged to make. It is an

extremely lonely journey, especially in your environment, considering what it has

turned many of you into. It is a journey with few friends. There would be frustrations,

betrayals and a feeling of getting late in life. You would hear voices such as; 'you are

behind'; 'you are naïve'. Do not be deterred.

 

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Your eyes are in your head. You are building a future that would have a place in the

hearts and minds of your peers and generations; a future, which would put your mind

at peace and give you fulfilment in your old age and beyond.

Three Dimensions Of Dreams

It has been said that 'dream should be attainable'. Indeed they should be. You should

have the potential, will, strength and motivation to achieve your dreams and above all

be willing to sacrifice for them. You may not have the means to achieve your dreams at

first thought. What is necessary to note is that, dreams have limits. They can set the

upper and lower levels of your life. As has been noted, dreams are just dreams. They

motivate and remind you of what you wish to achieve in life.

Dreams have three broad dimensions. Which are; what you aspire to achieve, which is

the dream; how you achieve the dreams, which is the path; and what you indeed

achieve, which is the fulfilment.

Dreams and Career Routes Model

The book provides a model pursuing your dreams, which gives the youth options and

knowledge base in choosing a career path. In this light, a dream model is designed to

help you chart an upward course. The dream diagram has seven (7) stages, all of which

are of equal importance. Your basic skills usher you from the Dreamland to the Growth

Platform. Between the Dreamland and the Growth Platform is the Progression Stage.

From the Growth Platform, you begin the tedious and painful journey to the

Achievement Platform. The Model offers career options for young persons and looks

more and more as a great companion for planning and options whatever the stage you

are in your career.

 

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Excerpts from the book:

THE DREAMS OF OUR YOUTH

(Available from Amazon & Kindle)

Author

ARNOLD BOATENG

Tel: +233-20 98 30 546

E: arnoldboateng@gmail.com

Website: www.arnoldboateng.com

Blog: arnoldboateng.blogspot.com

T: @Arnold_Boateng

NOTE: Be at liberty to contact me for an interaction on the book, speaking engagement or any related matter.